FollowCass used to suffer from monthly UTIs when she was a baby.
My gynecologist first detected a problem during my 16-week pregnancy scan. Her right kidney was dilated. Because of that finding, he arranged additional scans, 3D scans, and even an amniocentesis to investigate further.
When Cass was born, all her initial tests came back normal. There was no obvious obstruction in her urinary tract. We thought the worst was behind us.
We were wrong.
At just two months old, she had her first UTI. That marked the beginning of a long and exhausting journey that would span years. Endless tests, scans, hospital visits, and invasive procedures eventually confirmed that she had Grade 3 Vesicoureteral Reflux (Kidney Reflux), a condition where urine flows backward from the bladder toward the kidneys.
Almost every month, she suffered another UTI attack.
Those years were a nightmare. Every diaper change came with anxiety. I would sniff her dirty diapers constantly because a foul smell often meant bacteria were present in her urine. Before long, I had become an unwilling expert in urine cultures. I could recognize the names of different bacteria by heart, knew which antibiotics they were sensitive to, and spent countless hours reading medical journals, researching UTIs, and exploring natural remedies.
Yet despite all that effort, Cass still needed surgery at 13 months old to correct the reflux. And that surgery had complications, which led to another surgery.
The surgery helped, but it did not solve everything.
Even after more than a decade of follow-ups at HKL, numerous tests and invasive scans still could not clearly pinpoint the source of one remaining issue. We know there is still a problem somewhere, and our hope is to eventually identify and correct it so that Cass can live a completely normal life.
From my research online, I found out that D-Mannose is the best natural remedy to treat a UTI caused by E-Coli (not other bacteria, though). 17 years ago, D-Mannose was only available in the UK and I ordered this preventive/complimentary agent from England, which Cass took as a prophylactic measure until today.
Because of her condition, Cass is more susceptible to UTIs than most people. As a result, I became extremely protective of her.
When she was in Standard One, I was constantly at school. I made sure she drank enough water, went to the toilet regularly, and was doing well. I knew all her teachers and many of her friends. Even today, some of her primary school friends who later attended the same secondary school still recognize me. When I visited her school recently, several of them greeted me immediately.
I was that mother—the one who was always outside the classroom or sitting in the canteen, quietly keeping watch.
When Cass was 12, she suffered another UTI attack. Every time that happened, I would bring her to Dr. Eric, the pediatrician at Pantai Hospital Bangsar, the one doctor I trusted completely with her care since Cass was 2 months old. He understood her medical history and was always careful in selecting medications because he knew her kidneys were vulnerable. He never prescribed antibiotics carelessly.
Each serious UTI usually meant hospitalization, intravenous antibiotics, and a course of oral antibiotics afterwards.
Then came her SPM.
On the morning of her final paper in December last year, my phone rang at 5.30 a.m. I had already moved back to Ipoh.
The moment I heard her voice, my heart sank.
She was having another UTI attack.
I immediately told her to see a doctor and to hand the phone to me to speak with the doctor once she reached the clinic. I also told her something I truly meant:
“If you don’t sit for the last paper, it’s okay. Take care of your health first”
The final paper was Chinese, but her health mattered far more than any examination result.
Even if she received an F for the paper, I would have been completely at peace with it. UTIs are not something to take lightly, especially for someone with her medical history.
By God’s grace, Cass managed to see the doctor, sit for her Chinese paper, and recover.
She didn’t fail.
She scored a C+.
The only person who was unhappy with that result was Cass herself.
As for me?
I was delighted.
Her 7As were more than enough.
In truth, she has always been more than enough.
After everything she has endured since birth, academic results have never been the measure of her worth. As long as her health is stable, her kidneys are protected, and she is happy, that is all that truly matters to me.
That will always be enough. ❤️
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| Cass warded at Pantai Medical Centre for UTI (age 12) in 2020. |
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